Repulsed Fascination
by valbino
Summary: CandyxCarrion. AU. After all, what beauty is there without something hideous to equal that beauty? On Hiatus. Writer's block.
1. Chapter 1

asdfwhut.

couldn't resist, plus this story was tugging at my mind. I decided I HAD to write it.

Disclaymore: I don't own Abarat, nor do I wish to. -points at Christopher- HE SHOULD OWN ABARAT, BUT CLIVE BARKER JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE IN THE WAY.

where the idea came from: Me not being satisfied with the lack of Candy/Carrion moments in Book two(days of magic, nights of war). This starts where she slides/falls off the ladder of the Dead Man's House, which is on Page 351 in case you want to check.

If I were candy, i would have totally showed Carrion my dreams. :3 -total fangirl-

* * *

Candy's arms flailed. She let out a shriek that died on the storm's icy wind before even Carrion could hear it.

Then she fell, face-up, blacking out.

She dimly felt Midnight's arm catch her; the girl tried to fight it, but was no match for his strength, possibly not even when at the peak of her own.

-.-

"Bat!"

"Yes, Prince?" A high, quavery voice greeted him instantly.

Christopher Carrion looked at the small waiflike form in front of him. She had a very circular face, with red eyes that took up most of the space in it. Pointed ears with the points ending in muted violet, and white hair that occasionally took on a golden glint. Some sort of corset and shimmering pinky gold skirt with ballet-esque slippers; everything she wore had a muted quality to it, except for her eyes. He had found her in the mines on Gorgossium; she had such a fetching voice he kept her around for the pleasures of listening to it.

However, the housekeeper of the Dead Man's House thought she would make more use as an assistant rather than a singer. Carrion took note that Bat, as he called her(her full name was too long to memorize properly, let alone pronounce), never wore the formal uniform his servants and butlers and even washing women wore of a navy blue suit with equally navy blue, highly polished shoes.

"You know of my...visitor, correct?"

"Aye, Prince."

"I wish for you to tend to her. Lay out another set of clothing next to her bed, on one of the small tables. Then notify me when she comes to."

"Anything else, my Prince?" Bat asked.

"That is all."

Bat quickly scampered off to do Midnight's bidding.

-.-.-

Candy had dreams.

Dreams of Mischief and his brothers and Malingo.

Dreams of some sort of soothing lullaby.

Dreams of a brown-skinned man with red dreadlocks, and frighteningly green eyes, but a warm and ready smile.

Candy also had nightmares.

Nightmares of Carrion's cool hand stroking her forehead.

Nightmares of Carrion's grotesquerie in all its naked glory.

Nightmares of Midnight himself.

Once, she had heard voices and felt something warm cocooning her in its embrace; maybe she had waken up on occasion?

Candy could feel herself awakening from a long slumber. She wanted to stay in the fog of sleep, but sleep wouldn't keep her any longer.

Candy didn't open her eyes; the bed she was in was so comfortable, maybe sleep would reclaim her. Wait. This bed felt similar to the one she had found herself in before, when Letheo had taken her to the Dead Man's House. She had fainted, and then found a new set of clothing next to her when she had waken up.

"I can tell you're awake, lady. Open your eyes." A childlike voice, soft and musical, greeted her ears.

Candy opened her eyes to find a strange girl staring at her with humongous red eyes and white hair in some sort of long skirt. But only for a moment. The girl had quickly darted off a few seconds after she opened her eyes. And then, a few moments later, a flickering light appeared on the wall behind her doorway.

No, she mentally cried.

She couldn't be in the Dead Man's House, could she?

All she remembered was being cold and snow and blacking out.

Carrion had managed to keep her from death, if only just.

But why, the question lingered.

All this zoomed through her mind as a tendril of black cloth, a glare of some reflective surface, and then the Lord of Midnight himself entered.


	2. Chapter 2

disclaymore:..CARRION STILL DOESN'T OWN ABARAT DAMMIT. D8

anyway, from this point on, my muses won't be making a whole lot of appearances. In any of my stories. Maybe every three chapters in my Naruto-related stuff, but nto in this particular one. And the whole first part of this amuses me greatly. :9

In case anybody hasn't already guessed, Bat is an OC. There'll be a couple more, yes. Sorry if Bat seems a bit of a Sue. :I That description in the first chapter was slightly weird and scared me, if only because of the way I described her. D8 I think I'm going MAD!!!!...oh...yeah...I'm already mad. :I

Enjoy. :P Well. I hope you do.

haha... -still can't get over the first 2/3 of this or so-

* * *

Carrion fought to keep his distance from the girl lying down in front of him, head propped up on a few pillows, eyes wide with shock.

"Yes, girl, you are still in my house. We are currently taking the long route to Gorgossium. I wonder; do you know how long you've been asleep?"

Candy barely managed to shake her head left and right a few times, obviously trying to comprehend how she could have possibly been at the Dead Man's House still.

"You have been asleep for three days. Apparently humans from the Hereafter have weak immune systems." He studied her slightly delayed reaction.

"I've...never...been...sick..." She whispered. Maybe Abaratian colds were different from colds back home.

"Really? I find that odd. I myself have been ill on occasion." Candy found his tone to be less commanding and more conversational than on their last meeting, a few days ago.

"I'm thirsty," She muttered to herself, squinting around the room. She noticed some clothing neatly folded on a table near the right wall, and an end table near her bed, plus some small specks of light near the ceiling; they refracted off each other and made more light that created shimmering shadows.

Carrion snapped his fingers and whispered something to the manservant that appeared. Then the manservant disappeared. "There will be water brought here in a few minutes. And then tomorrow we will arrive at Gorgossium. Change your clothes." He nodded towards the pile of clothing Candy had spotted earlier.

"...Not in front of you. Turn around." Why say 'please'? There wasn't really any reason Candy could think of.

Carrion seemed to be considering something. "Whose wing are you under, girl?"

"Nobody's."

"Actually, you are under _my_ wing. " He said it as if it were obvious.

"Your point?" She was sitting up now, and already feeling irritated. Surely he would allow her her privacy.

"I really don't have to give you the courtesy of turning around."

Candy had nothing to say to that. He was right. She knew he was right, and he knew she knew he was right. And that was why he smiled his death's head smile. Although she wondered if what was left of his conscience would give her privacy...

"But if you don't I can call you a pervert. Surely a prince wouldn't want his name to be soiled." It was a gamble.

"My name's been soiled too many times for that to affect me; I also have no desire to look at your...intimate parts, so to speak." Carrion seemed to roll his eyes, but Candy wasn't sure.

Candy pressed her lips into a tight line. Darn. So much for that idea.

"But." Carrion continued. "I'm going to allow you your privacy, because I happen to be..._tactful_."

With that, he turned around. Taking a wary glance at him, Candy slowly pushed the downy comfort off her legs and swung them to the right, then hopped off the bed. She noted that she was in a white dress; a sleeping gown. She stepped over to the pile of clothes and pulled off the top garment: a pair of olive green pants with dark red streaks going horizontally across the legs.

After pulling on the pants, she found the top: A bright red tank top. Shrugging off the gown, she quickly put the tank top on. Just in case. Then the last garment, a forest green overjacket, and brown-black shoes that looked vaguely like slippers.

"Are you finished?"

"Yeah." Candy's lips were still forming a line across her face; obviously not too pleased with having to dress in front of him, even if his back was facing her.

The Lord of Midnight turned around. "That took you long enough."

Candy looked like she was about to make some sort of retort, but saw the manservant reappear, holding a glass of water. Carrion took it and held it out for Candy, then waved the manservant away(obviously, the poor manservant disappeared faster than the blink of an eye). Reluctantly, slowly, she reached out and then snatched it quickly, chugging it down. Obviously trying to gae Carrion's reaction.

-.-.-.-

The Lord of Midnight gazed at the twelfth tower from a ridiculously tall window in the top floor. Home at last.

"Bat."

The red-eyed waif appeared.

"Yes, Prince?"

"Fetch the girl from her room. She won't come to my call. Maybe you can drag her here."

"Aye."

-.-

"But I don't _want_ to see him!"

"Orders are orders, lady." Bat was feeling slightly nonplussed.

"I don't care!" Candy's right eyebrow twitched.

"Then I have no choice..." Bat closed her eyes and muttered something; an incantation or spell.

"What are you--"

Before Candy could finish, she felt herself unable to move, which suited Bat's purposes nicely; she dragged the girl from the Hereafter up a flight of stairs, and deposited her in the same room Carrion was in before undoing the spell.

"--Doing?!"

"I paralyzed you." Bat said.

"You may go, Bat." Carrion stated.

"Aye." And with that, the waif disappeared.


End file.
